So did the mast work ?

So, the question needs to be asked......

Did it work ?

Well the answer is ( I Think ) a resounding yes :)

The reason for no posts recently (other than being busy at work) is that I have entered two yes two contests.

Ground Level (more or less!)

The Practical Wireless 144Mhz low power and the 50Mhz Trophy contest.

Here are some pictures of the 144Mhz set-up the first one is it ready to be pumped up and the second one is it fully pumped up and ready to use.

Did it work - well I think the answer is definitely yes ! I ended up with 77 contacts (remember this is a low power - in this case 3W) contest, the furthest away being GI4 which is 419Km away, also some first for me with my first GM station on 144Mhz, as well as my first Isle Of Man station and my first French station on two - for me a brilliant personal result - I've entered the contest but as it is predominantly a portable contest I'm unsure how a fixed station like myself will be placed, several portable stations I worked had very large serial numbers !!!!

Final Height - and in use.

The best part was 30 minutes after the contest had finished, I had dismantled the antenna, the mast was 'let down' and stored away and everything was back to a 'normal' garden.

So it absolutely hit the mark with regard to the design spec that I set myself on both the time to get ready and the time to remove it.

It was so successful that I decided I would try the next weekend the 50Mhz Trophy Contest  (RSGB), This is a 24 hour contest, but does have a six hour fixed station section (6F) that seemed reasonable.

So I removed the 6M antenna from the loft space (this is a dual band 6M/4M with 3 elements for 6M and 4 for 4M).  I used the same arrangement that I  used for the previous weekends 144Mhz contest, but learnt that I could use the step ladder to aid the mounting of the rotator and antenna, and help make this truly a 'one man' operation. Here are a couple of pictures of the antenna in place and at the full height.

50/70Mhz Dual Band Antenna @ full height

As you can see it looks good (well I think so!), it was pretty gusty and so this time I took the precaution of putting two guys in the direction of the prevailing wind.

I'm pretty sure it didn't need it as it wasn't moving at all before I deployed them, but better safe than sorry.

Again, did it work ?

Well I think again a resounding yes !

I worked 38 stations, with a combined score of 340825 (claimed) , conditions were very poor, with only one or two sporadic E openings, my best DX was ES1MM/2 in  locator KO59DI this is a distance of 2045km. I also worked my first GM on 6M, and into Iceland. 

50/70Mhz Antenna close up

Whilst I was very pleased with the overall set-up and how things went the conditions were truly dire. Considering I only have a 3 element antenna and only use 100W I did pretty well, I'm currently 4th in the 6F part of the contest. Others are running larger antenna's and much more power (2 or 3 times more) so not too bad in my view.

Again the mast came down really quickly and within 25 minutes, it was back to a 'normal' garden with no mast or antenna visible.

So is the mast a success - On balance I think yes, two contest entered, both pretty convincingly - which I wouldn't have been able to without the mast. result :)

Now to up the power on 6M and get a better antenna - onwards and upwards - literally !!!!